Aliso Niguel boasts over a hundred clubs on campus for students to explore different communities and extracurricular interests. The Formula One Club was founded this year by Maksim Reshetnikov (12) as a place for students to come together and bond over their passion for racing.
The club meets on the second Tuesday of every month in room 302; their club advisor is Ms. Torres. Reshetnikov is the president, and the other officers include Owen Holtzer (12), Ulyana Tsetsulnikova (12) and Demeil Tavour (12).
Reshetnikov says, “I wanted to form a club about a sport I’m really passionate about: racing. I wanted to create a place at my school where fans of this sport can discuss and talk to each other about race weekends and how they feel about the season.”
Formula One, also known as F1, is the highest level of racing on an international scale. It is highly competitive, with racers from all over the world facing off for championship titles.
Members of the F1 Club gather each month to discuss different racers and teams, and they also watch highlights from the latest races. Additionally, they partake in Fantasy F1, a game in which players receive a limited budget to build a virtual “fantasy” team to score points based on the real-life racers’ performances.
The club offers a rare space for F1 fans at Aliso to get together and bond over their shared enjoyment of racing.
“I feel like in America, sports like, you know, football, soccer, they’re often talked about,” says Reshetnikov, “but I never hear the same with Formula One, especially because racing in itself is more popular in England.”
Not only is Formula One a unique sport that brings together passionate fans at Aliso, but it also greatly impacts the school’s culture. As it is such an international sport, with drivers competing from all over the world, fans follow teams from dozens of countries. The club, thus, serves as both a space for fans to cheer their favorites and as a form of cultural enrichment for Aliso Niguel.
Kai Thomas (11), who is very passionate about cars, appreciates how “the club contributes to Aliso by supporting the automotive culture of the school and providing a space for people to share and gain knowledge.”
“I’d like to see us get more technical about the cars and the sport, and maybe discuss other motorsports,” Thomas says.
As the club continues to grow, it will continue to establish itself as an invaluable part of the school community. A diverse range of clubs indicates that a school has a thriving student body, and the unique nature of the Formula One club greatly contributes to that.
Going forward, the club has tentative plans for bonding activities to enhance their sense of community, including viewing parties for important race events and perhaps even a go-karting event, according to Reshetnikov.
